Farmers Union supports Land Link project, not formation of heritage area

Friday

Apr 25, 2014 at 3:00 PM

To the Editor: La Junta Tribune-Democrat

On occasion, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union will serve as a partner in a project that promises to benefit family farmers and ranchers in our region. Some time ago, RMFU supported an application by Guidestone to obtain a Gates Family Foundation grant. The funds from this grant would help support the introduction of Land Link to an area of Southeastern Colorado.

Unfortunately, there is a misrepresentation of RMFU’s participation in this project as an overall action to support something entirely different. Whether due to misinterpretation, misinformation or even by intention these individuals are inaccurately implying something that is not true. For the record, RMFU is not supporting a collaborative effort to create a National Heritage Area. RMFU is taking steps to make sure anyone who has a voice in this discussion understands the farm organization’s actual position.

RMFU did support an application by Guidestone to seek funds from the Gates Family Foundation. This grant was awarded for the purpose of establishing a Land Link program in Southeastern Colorado to connect landowners with beginning farmers and ranchers. The purpose of Land Link is to encourage the next generation of farmers whose way of life and income will be rooted in the land. RMFU sees this as the best way to create sustainable economic growth in rural communities. Our priorities have never wavered from our commitment to the long-term viability of family farms and ranches. Not surprisingly, when agriculture is healthy the economic benefits show up in rural communities. We at RMFU appreciate the investment the Gates Family Foundation is making to strengthen rural communities.

Unfortunately, in December media reports that announced the awarding of the Guidestone grant grouped it in with other Gates Family Foundation grants being awarded to several other applicants in the same area. Some of these applicants may have projects that overlap in scope, but they have nothing to do with Land Link or Guidestone. RMFU was not consulted, informed or invited to participate in any discussions to consider forming a national heritage area in Southeast Colorado. We are not a partner, nor do we have a voice in, or support in principle, any projects other than the Land Link initiative. RMFU takes issue with anyone whose writings or comments suggest we are in any way involved in the creation of a national heritage area. We will have official correspondence with any organization that may imply in any way we support or are a part of their projects.

As a general farm organization, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union is guided by policy written, debated, and adopted or rejected by farmers and ranchers. Our responsibility as an organization is to stay true to these policies and to be an advocate for our members. Individuals or organizations professing to know RMFU’s involvement in any action that affects landowners is welcome to contact us to make sure they have their facts straight. It is one thing to misunderstand an organization’s actions; it is quite another to misrepresent an organization’s actions in an attempt to make a link to a totally unrelated issue.